Chasing perfection

As a child, I wanted to be like everyone else who didn’t have cerebral palsy. I wanted to walk properly without a limp, I wanted to walk heel-toe. I was constantly checking my heels to see the difference between them and how they were wearing down and would get annoyed because they were different.

When I crayoned outside the lines, I’d throw the colouring sheet I was using in the bin and start again. The outlines on my handwriting were too small and if I made a mistake I would start again. Luckily that need for perfection never spilled over into anything else.

My being a perfectionist seemed to be centred around my cerebral palsy, not so much around me. But for those who are chasing perfection all the time it can be exhausting. It’s an endless uphill struggle when we’re continually trying to be the best at everything.

It is an impossible quest, one that ends with disappointment every time, because no one can expect to be the best all the time. The bar will always be raised. It’s not something that will always be within our grasp.

Being a perfectionist can also be a stressful burden. Having to keep up standards is stressful enough but being the best at something is better than being the best at everything; because being the best at everything means we’ll be too stressed to really enjoy our success.

I believe that the reality for most of us is that our lives aren’t really like that. Wanting everything perfect and chasing perfection is a pipe dream in a Cinderella story! Our realities are different.

I know that having CP made me less than perfect and I never had a problem with that. I think the lack of support and understanding made it more difficult for me to accept the fact that I had it. I must have been compensating back then as a child.

I think you’re right. Adopting a child gives us a different take on our life. You will have messes given his young age, but he just needs to be who he is. I wish you all the luck in the world.

I totally get you. This isn’t about you… this is about you having to deal with Cerebral Palsy, not so easy to do.

As a child I was also very angry. Looking back it had nothing to do with me either. I know with the right support we would have coped a lot better. Sometimes it’s the understanding that helps us perceive our life better.

I began to surround myself with people who were positive, that also helped. The key is positive support and understanding. I believe both of those attributes are very important.